Thursday, June 16, 2011

Fat Trees and Tall Thin Trees - Gurindam's Tale

I am fat. I think I have been clear on this in my earlier posting. It is a downer... but once in a while I come across some tenuous rationale which makes me happy at being err... stocky. Gurindam shared with me a story about fat trees and thin trees (he does that a lot, being a planter).

"My dear boy..." Began Gurindam. "A tree is a good analogy for a man. Like a tree, we must grow, and like a tree, we can be a source of protection and nourishment for other people. If our tree is shady with lots of sweet fruits, many people will come flocking to our presence. They will pluck our fruits and eat them, muttering 'Oh, yummy!' However, if our tree bears bitter fruits and has little leaves, no one will be bothered with us and we will be that cranky lonely old tree at the corner of the street, avoided and unloved. So Taufiq, you must be a shady foliage so you can provide shelter and people will sit under you and remark happily, 'What a lovely old tree!'"

"And you must remember...." Gurindam continued, "A tree needs a lot of fertilizer to grow well. So you must be able to accept a lot of crap from people and still be happy."

"That is not easy," I said.

"If something is worthwhile to attain, normally it isn't easy. That is the way of the world." Replied Gurindam. "But to continue, you should also make sure that you don't grow tall and barren. You may attract attention, but you give little shade, you offer no fruits, and you become a lightning rod in a storm. So instead of being a beneficial thing, you become a source of danger. And if you become a source of danger, you have drifted far from the ideals of the Prophet."

"Prophet?"

Gurindam smiled and patted my shoulder, "Have you forgotten? Someone once asked the Prophet, 'Who is a Muslim?' And Muhammad Habibullah (Beloved of God) answered beautifully, 'He is someone from whom everyone is safe from harm, whether from his words or his deeds'"

Dear sunshine. How many amongst us can now fall into this category? God bless the Living Memory of the Prophet, and God bless you, whoever you may be, and by whatever name you call our One God.